


Seemingly Innocent Tiktok

by Brainmuncher



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Depression, I just relate to him alot, Poor timmy ended up being my victim, This happened to me today and I just needed to vent, TikTok, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, vent - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:48:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29579130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brainmuncher/pseuds/Brainmuncher
Summary: Tim hadn't thought much of it when he posted a random Tiktok. It wasn't like he put in any effort or anything. This was his own personal account that the media hadn't caught wind of. He could post whatever he wants... right?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Seemingly Innocent Tiktok

When Tim had made the video he hadn’t thought much of it. He was taking a break from work for once in his life and was relaxing on his bed. While relaxing he went on his phone and started to go through the slew of social networks he was apart of. Eventually, after finding nothing but politics and the occasional cat picture on Tumblr, he settled for the bottom of the barrel. The bottom being Tiktok of course.

It wasn’t often that he used the app. Surprising considering it was the only place he wasn’t flooded by fans. He’d only posted a video or two that were more crack-posts than anything. A random video featuring a steaming coffee mug with disco lights would only get so many views after all.

So when he ran into a TikTok of a lady going about the usual trend of ‘tell me your blank without actually telling me your blank’ and instead talking about mental illness, he thought he might take a stab. It wasn’t unknown knowledge that the bats had terrible mental health. Each seemed to have their own thing, or more usually a set of things, they should really talk to a therapist about. Tim’s main kryptonite was his depression.

Which in the grand scheme compared to the rest of his family honestly felt pretty underwhelming. That’s not to say that his depression wasn’t bad. It was absolutely terrible and resulted in more than a few dark moments. If it wasn’t his guilt eating him up it was his perfectionism and his feelings of abandonment. He felt like a burden at the best of times, which lead him to only work even harder to try and be helpful.

His self-destructing habits were more in the realm of never giving himself a break, meaning just him sitting back and going on Tiktok was a big deal.

Looking around himself, he could see how much of a mess his room had gotten. No doubt the mess was spread throughout the rest of the apartment as well. His trash beside his bed was overflowing with paper plates, most of them with half-eaten food still on them. Multiple cups of empty mugs and cold coffee sat like a self-sacrificial circle around his bed like he was calling for the coffee demons. Bags of chips and other snacks hung around on various places within reaching distance, giving him little reason to get out of bed.

A small snort left him as he gazed around himself. How long had it been since he actually got out of bed to do anything other than heat up frozen meals or to use the bathroom? The answer would probably make him laugh harder than he should.

With a shrug of ‘why not?’ because nobody was even aware that it was Tim who owned the account anyway, he clipped the video and hit record. He panned the camera across his muddled room, a laugh escaping him as everything started to sink in.

“I’m fine,” Tim wheezed as he ended the video.

Not thinking anything about it, he posted the video without even bothering with tags and shut off his phone.

Content that he completed his daily dose of relaxation, he grabbed his laptop that had been left near his feet and dragged it back to his lap. Tim carefully panned his mouse through the hundreds of tabs he had opened until he found the one he was looking for. His work email filled the screen, dozens of new emails sat in waiting, all seeming to stare at him. Just as he’d been about to click on something from Lex Luthor, a man he only talked to for entertainment at this point, his phone buzzed.

With confusion, he pulled his phone out from where it became buried in his blankets and lit up the screen. To his surprise, there were notifications from Tiktok.

He thought that he’d turned all of his notifications off of anything unimportant but it seemed that the app had slipped his mind. With a sigh, he unlocked his phone and opened the app again. It was for the best that he turns the notifications off now rather than later to avoid any missed calls. As it loaded his phone buzzed as yet another notification rolled in.

Tim tried to ignore the red bubble with a tempting number 2 inside it while he turned all his notification settings off but that control slipped when it changed to a 3. There was no harm in his curiosity. Perhaps someone found his Tiktok and recognized him. In that case, it would be very important for him to jump on this now rather than later.

But upon going into his notifications he was left with a sinking feeling. There had been multiple people, multiple meaning about 6 or 7, likes left, and a single comment that seemed to dig into his chest. Despite knowing that nothing good would come of it, Tim clicked on the notification for the comment and found that it was on his newest video featuring his bedroom. A feeling of… something was pushed inside of him when he read the full comment.

‘That’s not mentally ill that’s just being disgusting and lazy’.

Biting at his chapped lips, Tim backed out of the comments section. He found himself rewatching his own Tiktok, taking in what was shown. It was the same bedroom that he’s sitting in now but somehow it felt wrong.

It was selfish and completely stupid to do but… Tim went into his settings again and turned everything back on. He wanted to know if anyone else ended up seeing the video as well.

For a moment everything was silent. Tim reached out to his laptop and closed it, sliding it back to where his feet were. He checked his phone again to see that there were even more views on the video and more likes on the comment.

He refreshed the page, only to see yet another new comment appear.

‘Lazy, I’m losing faith in humanity’.

Something seemed to have been gripping his heart at that point. With the shake of his head, he took another look around himself.

He was doing the best he could, right? This wasn’t him being lazy, it’s a real part of his depression. It wasn’t laziness that strapped him down to his bed, making him scream at himself mentally but never able to make himself move an inch. There had to be a misunderstanding.

Glancing back at his phone, the comments seemed to glare back at him. They stared and repeat themselves over and over as Tim reread the comments. With a hard swallow, he tried to close out of the app, but a new notification stopped him. A need to know what was new sent him right back to the video. There were even more likes and another new comment.

‘@hannaspeggingstick @bussypops ew’

At that point, Tim had to physically pull himself away from his phone. He turned it off and threw it to the other side of the bed. Scrambling to grab his covers, he threw it over his legs and leaned to grab his laptop again. Trying to keep his thoughts from spiraling, he dragged the computer into his lap and unlocked it with his fingerprint. His screen lit up with his email, the same spot that he’d left it.

He ignored Luthors message, not in the mood to laugh at the man, and instead opened something that was sent in from one of his assistants. Tim tried to read the words but nothing seemed to be processing. He’d find himself rereading the same sentence over and over and yet still have no recollection of it. Instead, his eyes kept wandering away from the screen and to his bedroom.

All the mess that had built up over the days felt huge. It was all so overwhelming, a daunting task to even consider cleaning. But he’d done it before hadn’t he? He never lived like this when he’d been in the manor.

But you had Alfred clean up after you there, his traitorous mind supplied. The man probably cleaned Tim’s room more than the whole manor combined. Tim was disgusting and Bruce would be disappointed.

Taking in a deep breath Tim turned back to his computer screen.

He just needed to work and all this will go away. So long as he’s doing work none of this was real.

Running a hand through his greasy hair, he tried to focus on the laptop once more. He started to read the email and already started forming plans to fix the problems that his assistant was presenting. Tim opened up a new draft and began writing an email in response with direct instructions. Not even the constant buzz of his phone ripped him away from his computer.

He never even noticed that he missed his regular phonecall with Dick.

**Author's Note:**

> Might do a sequel I'm not sure yet. Just felt like sharing this one despite it being a while since I've shared anything.


End file.
